ZOOMS FABRICA

ZOOMS FABRICA | Athens, Greece

The sign above the entrance to their boutique off of Kolokotroni Street, in Athens, sums up the simple but passionate concept behind Zooms Fabrica: “We love clothing!” And they truly mean it.

Founded by the husband and wife team, Giorgos Kiriakakis and Chrysanthi Genouzou, they pride themselves on the care and attention to detail put into the design and sewing of each individually hand-made piece – something lost today in the modern world of mass-produced fashion.

The idea for Zooms Fabrica began nearly a decade ago with Chrysanthi designing and sewing tailored dresses and children’s clothing for friends out of their home in Athens. Giorgos, then an engineer, began his obsession with vintage fabrics by scouring the storehouses and markets of Athens for the best quality fabrics for her designs. And as the grandson of an Athens fabric merchant, it was an obsession that was easily acquired. “Fabric,” as he says, “is in my blood.” Today, Giorgos searches across Europe and across the world for unique, top-quality cloth. But some of the best vintage fabrics are found right near their boutique, among the old fabric shops of Syntagma, which still house bales of cloth from the days when Greece was renowned across the world for the quality of its cotton.

Chrysanthi draws her inspiration from the classic patterns of the 20th Century, from the 1920’s through to the 1970’s, looking especially to the timeless style of classic Greek cinema. Using traditional sewing techniques, she fuses classic and contemporary design, utilizing the best, handpicked vintage and modern fabric to create clothing that is of the highest quality and that is uniquely Greek.

“Chrysanthi likes to design the old way,” Giorgos says. “Now, many fashion designers like to make easy clothing and they don’t have much of a job constructing it. These classic patterns of the old times, they’re more difficult – more sewing, more detail, more care. And you have to be more careful in the fabric you choose because you can’t use every fabric for every pattern.” And just like the husband and wife team itself, as he says, “the fabric and the pattern are a matched pair, you know?”

ANGELIKI

ANGELIKI (ann-geh-lee-kee) is a carefully curated collection of clothing, bags, jewelry, and home accents handpicked from the neighborhoods of downtown Athens and the Greek islands. All items are designed and handmade in Greece and celebrate a mix of Hellenic heritage and innovation, hallmarks of the burgeoning art scene and cultural wave that is energizing the country.